Technology currently being used to monitor for early signs of bioterrorism and naturally occurring outbreaks may soon help improve the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) postmarketing surveillance system.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge are developing a computer surveillance system that would mine databases from hospitals, health maintenance organizations, and federal agencies to help the FDA identify early signs of safety problems with prescription drugs and medical devices. The collaboration between the FDA and MIT’s Center for Biomedical Innovation was announced in August.